Sickness Certificates

Sickness Certificates

You do not require a doctor's sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.

The NHS provides sickness certificates for the DSS only for periods of sickness lasting greater than 7 days where the doctor thinks the patient remains unfit for work.Shorter periods of illness are dealt with via a standard of “self-certification” form which is available from GPs’ surgeries.Alternatively some employers have their own self certification form.Any request from a patient for a self certificate for their employer for a shorter period is a private certificate and a fee will be charged by the GP practice.

Most colleges have a “self certification” form available for illness lasting less than 7 days.If your illness is a short one you should enquire about this.If you think that you require a longer time away from your educational course you should arrange an appointment with your GP.

If you require a “sickness certificate” for periods less than 7 days this would be a private certificate which would involve a fee (ask at the GPs reception).If your college/university or bursary organisation say you should still obtain a certificate for less than 7 days, please show them this information.Glasgow GPs believe that appointments solely to obtain short term sickness certificates are a waste of NHS time and resource which does nothing to improve health.

Educational organisations who do not understand the self-certification system can telephone the Glasgow Local Medical Committee for information.We are sorry but we are unable to provide advice to individual students on this matter.